FQF-305 Fleche
Background With it's separation from the Coalition States, the State of Free Quebec found itself in a precarious position. While it's power armour and ground forces were as capable as the Coalition and it's naval forces being easily equal as well, it was lacking int eh air power department beyond what Death's Head Transports it possessed. The CS forces had a number of aircraft at it's disposal that proved highly effective since Quebec's own power armour units could not intercept or truly do combat with these machines. While Quebec DID have a few squadrons of Nightwings (48 total) it was nowhere near enough to deal with the CS's incursions with their own craft. Now that hostilities between the two nations have subsided, the leadership still feels it would behoove the nation to develop and build a fleet of interception aircraft. They do not believe that Quebec will actually be left alone by the Coalition in the years to come and wants to be ready if another showdown were to occur between the two technological powers. With an idea in hand they scoured their various archives they had found years prior during excursions to the once great capital of Canada. Ottawa. There was a treasure trove of information there which Free Quebec had retrieved and catalogued. It was within these archives of data they found the perfect craft they wanted to build from. A craft that had speed and firepower and would be a representation of itself as a nation. Work immediately set forth to modify the design and put it into production. By 110PA the FQF-305 Fleche was deployed with the first 36 craft based out of the fortress city itself and more on the way. By most standards it is considered one of the more advanced aircraft on earth at this moment with the notable exception of extra-terrestrial craft used in various parts of the globe. Model Type - FQF-305 Fleche Class - High Speed Interceptor/Fighter Crew - 1 MDC By Location Nose/Cockpit 200 Main Body/fuselage 350 Wings (2) 225ea Tailplanes 150 Engines (2) 260ea AR - 14 (vehicle AR) Armour - Stops upto and including the equivalent of 30mm rounds (2d6+3md) Speed Flying - Mach 3+ at high altitude, mach 1.8 at low altitude, supercruise at 1.6 Range - Pilot Endurance Altitude - 32000m (100 000ft) Statistics Height - 6.5m Length - 24.9m Width - 15.5m Weight - 34.1 tons maximum, 20.2 tons empty Cargo - Minimal survival gear Power System - 2× F95 Fusion Turbines Cost - millions of dollars Weapons Weapon Type - Weapon Bay Primary Purpose - Anti-aircraft Range - varies by missile type Damage - varies by missile type Rate Of Fire - 1 at a time equal to pilots attacks Payload - 16 missiles. HE or Hvy HE Air to Air or HE or Hvy HE Air to ground or 2 mini misile pods carrying 24 mini missiles each. Bonuses - +3 strike Weapon Type - Railgun Primary Purpose - Anti-aircraft Range - 2400m Damage - 2d6x10+10 per burst Rate Of Fire - equal to pilots attacks Payload - 100 bursts Bonuses - +3 strike Bonuses and Penalties Use Vehicle Combat Training and combat flying if applicable +1 attack at level 4, 9 and 13 +1 dodge at level 3, 6, 9 and 12 Systems of Note Telemental Helmet - Reads impulses from the pilots brain and translates them to the fighter. +2 initiative, +1 strike ranged, +1 dodge, +10% to appropriate skill rolls Nuclear powered - Life of the power supply 15 years Combat Computer - Calculates, stores and transmits data onto a HUD (heads up display) of the pilot's (or other crew members) helmet. Typically tied into the units targeting computer. Can hold hundreds of entries about various enemies and robots/power armour/aircraft/vehicles. Ejection System - Ejects crew or crew module out from the robot in emergency circumstances. System typically ejects the occupants about 1000 feet (300m) to parachute safely away. Complete Environmental Pilot and Crew Compartment - A completely computer controlled life support system that includes: internal cooling and temperature control, air purification and circulation systems (gas filtration, humidifier/dehumidifier) that engages when needed and can recirculate breathable air for upto 2 days if necessary, computer controlled independent oxygen supply and purge system that has upto 18 hours of breathable air that automatically engages in low oxygen or contaminated air environments, insulated high temperature resistant shielding for upto 400 degrees centigrade (normal fires do no damage though nuclear, plasma and magical fires do full damage), radiation shielded upto several hundred rads, and polarized and light sensitive/adjusting tinted viewport. Standard instrumentation - Speedometer, altimeter, distance traveled, inertial mapping system (zeroed on your deployment location/home base), power system temperature, ammunition counters, damage assessment indicators. Motion detector/Collision Warning System - Range 1500ft Smoke and Chaff/Flare Dispensers - 18 charges of smoke each create 60ft area of smoke behind the craft. Chaff and flare (18 charges each) give the craft a 75% chance of confusing radar guided (chaff) and heat seeking (flares) causing them to lose lock and miss their target. Fly by Light Control systems - If the craft takes more than 50% damage the systems may fail (60% chance). Loss of the control system gives a penalty to the pilot of -50% to all piloting rolls to maintain control of the aircraft. While functioning the systems give a bonus (+20% for fly by light) to all piloting rolls. Radar - Can identify and track upto 96 targets simultaneously to a range of 297 miles (475km) Radar Warning receiver - Informs the pilot/crew of possible radar lock. Range - 297 miles (475km). Advanced Infra-Red Imager – Forward looking infra-red imager that detects and identifies targets based on their heat signatures. Range – same as Radar. Targeting Computer - Assists in the tracking and identification of enemy targets to a range of 297 miles (475km). Laser Targeting System - Assists in selecting and locking on to enemy targets. +2 to strike using ranged weapons. Smart Missiles are excluded from this. Multi-Lock capability - Unit can lock on to and fire at 8 targets using semi-active radar homing and passive infra-red homing missiles at one time through it's radar tracking system. Look and lock capability - Unit can lock on to and fire at 10 targets using semi-active radar homing and passive infra-red homing missiles at one time through it's helmet mounted eye movement recognition cuing system. LIDAR/LADAR - This system uses lasers to detect and image items as small as 10cm at 5km, as small as 200cm (2.0m) out to 15km and as small as 1000cm (10.0m) out to 25km. This system also assists the other sensors in detection and identification. Radio Communications - long-range direction communication systems out to a range of 600 miles (960km) that can be boosted if proper signal towers or relay systems are in place. Also a directional short-range radio with a range of 15 miles (24km). Both radios have full encryption capabilities. Self destruct System - Systems that destroys the unit and all of its internal components. Blast is relatively contained however to a radius of 30 feet doing 3d6x10md to anything within the radius. Also a 75% chance the nuclear power supply is leaking radiation. Voice Actuated locking System - Units hatch is locked by a voice actuated system that is programmed to a specific voice (upto 8 can be programmed at once) that must recite a 8 digit access code. There is a manual over-ride keypad in case of systems failure. Limited Electronic Countermeasures Capability - With a Electronic Countermeasures skill roll (or Sensor operations at -20%) the pilot/crew can impose a penalty of -1 to strike and a -20% to all sensor skill rolls of any opponents within radar range depending on terrain. References Used The Arrow Scrapbook Fictional Flying machines Wiki Various Reference books on fighter air craft Wikipedia Rifts RPG